The invention relates to a magazine for tape recording cassettes especially for use in automobiles which magazine has arranged in a housing a plurality of chambers each for the reception of a recording tape cassette and locking members are associated with the chambers and adapted to project into the center openings of the reels in the cassettes for locking the reels.
A magazine of this type is described in German Pat. No. 2,033,388. In this magazine the chambers are oriented vertically and have at their sides angled spring loaded members which are moved into the chambers against the spring force when tape cassettes are inserted into the chambers. Movement of the angled members into the chambers causes locking members adapted in shape to the reel hub opening and mounted on leaf springs to be moved into the reel hub openings as the leaf springs are engaged and flexed by cams arranged on the chamber side walls. The reels are then locked in position and cannot rotate even during strong vibrations as they occur in automobiles.
At the bottom side of each chamber there is provided an additional locking member which is also mounted on a leaf spring and adapted to project into a cassette's opening provided at its long narrow side (cassette window). By this structure in combination with a backup member on the top of the chamber the cassette itself is fixed in position in a chamber so that it will not accidentally fall out of the chamber.
The arrangement according to the above patent is safe as far as the retaining of the cassettes and the locking of the cassette reels are concerned but the manufacture of such magazines is relatively expensive. In addition the tape is contacted by the locking member projecting into the cassette window and slightly forced inwardly together with the tape's resilient player head engagement mechanism which results in an undesirable tape load. Also, the vertical orientation of the tapes makes it necessary to always turn a cassette when it is taken out of the magazine and inserted into the player.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a cassette magazine which:
1. securely retains in position the cassettes as well as the reels therein, PA1 2. in contrast to known magazines occupies relatively little space, PA1 3. protects the cassettes from dust and from mechanical damage, PA1 4. may be mounted on a vehicle in a simple manner, and PA1 5. finally can be manufactured in an economical manner.